What does HIQA do?
HIQA’s statutory remit covers specified parts of Ireland’s public, private and voluntary health and social care system. Its work includes developing national standards; inspecting, monitoring and reviewing services; carrying out health technology assessments; advising on health information; and publishing evidence to inform decisions.
HIQA’s remit is set by law and differs between services. The Chief Inspector of Social Services within HIQA registers and inspects designated centres such as nursing homes and residential disability services. HIQA also inspects specified healthcare and children’s services, monitors international protection accommodation centres within its remit, and regulates medical exposures to ionising radiation. Always check HIQA’s current service pages to see whether a particular provider or centre is covered.
- Develops standards that describe what safe, quality, person-centred care should look like.
- Inspects and monitors services against relevant regulations and standards, and publishes many inspection reports.
- Registers and regulates specified residential centres, including nursing homes and designated disability centres.
- Reviews health technologies and health information, and provides evidence-based advice to Government.
HIQA and the HSE: what is the difference?
| Body | Main role |
|---|---|
| HSE | Organises and delivers public health and social care services, including hospitals and community services |
| Department of Health and Minister | Develops national health policy, proposes legislation and answers to the Oireachtas |
| HIQA | Sets standards, inspects or reviews services within its legal remit, and publishes findings |
| Ombudsman | Examines eligible complaints about how public bodies, including the HSE, have treated people |
If your appointment, care plan or treatment is the problem, the HSE or provider is responsible for the service and its complaints process. If you are concerned about broader safety or quality, information can also be sent to HIQA so it can assess it against standards and regulations. A HIQA inspection does not replace a complaint about your own care. For the service-delivery side, seethe guide to the HSE.
How to use HIQA inspection reports
- Search HIQA’s website for the service, centre or provider. For nursing homes and designated centres, check the register as well as inspection reports.
- Read the inspection date and the service type first. A report describes evidence and findings from a particular inspection; it is not a guarantee about every later day or every individual’s experience.
- Check which regulations or national standards were assessed and whether the report records compliance, non-compliance or required improvements.
- Look for the provider’s response or the follow-up report, if published. HIQA may monitor whether required improvements have been made and can take regulatory action within its powers.
How to raise a concern about care
The best first step is usually to raise the issue with the person in charge of the service or its complaints officer. Put the concern in writing where practical: describe what happened, when and where, who was involved, what you have already tried and what response you are seeking. Keep a copy.
For an HSE service, use Your Service Your Say. The HSE’s published process has four stages: feedback to the service; a complaints officer’s investigation; an internal review; and an external review by the Ombudsman or Ombudsman for Children, where applicable. The HSE says a formal investigation should normally receive a response within 30 working days, with updates if more time is needed.
You can also tell HIQA about a concern, especially where it relates to safety or quality across a service or a designated centre. HIQA reviews information it receives against standards and regulations, and a serious risk may lead to appropriate action or an investigation where it has legal power. But HIQA says it cannot investigate individual complaints. It may direct you to the right place if the issue is outside its powers.
For eligible complaints about a public service, you may be able to go to the Office of the Ombudsman after using the service’s own process. The Ombudsman can examine how the public body handled your case; HIQA’s role is to monitor standards and service quality. If someone faces immediate danger, contact emergency services or the responsible provider without delay.
What HIQA cannot do
HIQA does not run hospitals, nursing homes or HSE services, and it does not decide a person’s treatment or appointment. Its legal powers only apply to services and functions included in its statutory remit. It cannot generally investigate an individual complaint or award personal compensation. It can, however, use information from concerns to inform monitoring and may act where there is a serious risk or a legal basis for an investigation.
HIQA is an independent statutory authority, not an Oireachtas committee. The Minister and Government set policy and legislation; the Oireachtas scrutinises policy and public spending. Read more aboutaccountability bodies in Ireland.